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Popular Fort Smith Artist John Bell Dies At 76

Popular Fort Smith Artist John Bell Dies At 76

TIMES RECORD FILE PHOTO / Fort Smith artist John Bell poses in front of a commissioned work, “Concert on the Green," in 2009. Bell attended UAFS when it was Fort Smith Junior College, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Bell died Friday at age 76.

Popular Fort Smith Artist John Bell Dies At 76

TIMES RECORD FILE PHOTO / Local artist John Bell, left, speaks after the unveiling of his special commissioned work of First National Bank of Fort Smith as the bank's president, Sam Sicard, looks on in February 2010 at First National. Bell died Friday at age 76.

“John was not just a tremendous artist but a gracious individual,” Sanders said. “He had a magnificent talent as an artist, and his spirit was amazing to be able to do what he did over his lifetime. On behalf of the citizens of Fort Smith, we extend our condolences to Maxine and family.”

Bell, a Fort Smith native and graduate of Northside High School, graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in art and was member of a special committee of the National Endowment for the Arts. He was commissioned to feature his work at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a one-man show at the University of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C. and the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln, Neb., and had gallery shows in Little Rock, Rogers, Fort Smith and Van Buren, according to his website.

Bell’s nephew, Bill Kropp, spoke of his uncle’s talent not only as an artist, but as a man.

“He was great at everything. He was a great man, uncle, artist, father and husband, and he did it with great deal of humor,” Kropp said. “As an artist, his work was important to the region because he memorialized buildings well known to our region. They weren’t just about buildings, but the activity around them; he’d give them purpose.”

Bell’s wife, Maxine, said her husband loved Fort Smith and its people, which is reflected in his work.

“People have been wonderful, coming up to him, telling him they loved his work and he’d want the people of Fort Smith to see that they did appreciate that he liked what he did,” she said. “Johnny really loved this city and the people in it.”

Bell, who was diagnosed with gastric cancer in the spring, lived with cerebral palsy since birth, but those who knew him said he didn’t let that define him.

“He didn’t let his physical limitations pose as a challenge; he was a magnificent individual,” Sanders said.

“He was a good friend and I appreciate everything he did for us,” Owen said, noting Bell was among the center’s founding members and frequent contributor to the center. “He was a man who understood the importance of art and the impact art could make on a life. I had the pleasure of knowing someone who gave from the heart and understood the importance of his work and art itself.”

Bell’s friends, family and colleagues reflected fondly his work and personality and his impact on the region.

“Mr. Bell will be missed, not only as an exceptional and talented artist, but as the premier graphic historian for western Arkansas,” UAFS Chancellor Paul Beran said.

Bell was commissioned by Arkansas Best Freight for its 90th anniversary, for what would be his final piece, that “depicted an ABF truck climbing up a hill. You could see that it had come a long way, just like ABF,” Maxine Bell said.

She said he had commissions to do many other paintings, but did not get to them before his death.

Kropp said his uncle defined his own legacy.

“Uncle Johnny used to tell me that there’s a difference between an architectural rendering of a building and a painting. He’d say a painting is the soul; you’re not looking for the perfect building but a picture of its character,” Kropp said. “It was never about buildings; it was about community and the character of community. His legacy will be leaving a picture of community.”

Bell is survived by his wife, Maxine; a daughter, Lisa Jean Murphy of Conway; a brother, Jimmy Earl Bell of Fort Smith; and a granddaughter.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday at Ocker-Putman Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Smith. Funeral is 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ocker-Putman, with cremation to follow.